Kansas City Missouri To Get Electric Truck Plant

Kansas City Missouri To Get Electric Truck Plant - More Green Supply Chain Jobs To Come
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.29.09

The Smith Newton Electric Truck. Image credit:Kansas-City Star

As reported in The Kansas City Star, "Smith Electric Vehicles US is on track to begin building electric trucks in July at a plant near Kansas City International Airport. The company is betting that it will find sufficient demand because the delivery market is ideal for electric trucks." The Smiths are expensive but do have far lower operating costs than a gas or diesel delivery truck: even compared to hybrids. If plans work out, a nearby battery making plant will also expand. See below for details.

Smith Electric said that to stay in the area it needs a local supplier of electric batteries. That could be Kokam America in Lee’s Summit, which says it wants to be the supplier. Missouri is willing to give incentives to help build the battery plant, an 800,000-square-foot expansion of Kokam’s current facility. That plan is pending.
Via: a Smith USA press release we also learned that:

SEV U.S. Corp has already received a strong expression of interest from fleet operators. Canteen Vending Services, a national vending company and an operating division of Compass Group North America based in Charlotte N.C., has signed a letter of intent with SEV U.S. Corp to purchase some of the first zero- emission vehicles to roll off the assembly line. Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo that is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., have also signed on as launch partners.

Listen to Smith CEO Bryan Hansel explain how the truck drives (ergonomic advantages); how the US supply chain needs to be created; and, how the supply chain expansion will drive costs down.